Home- A Short Story
Saanvi Kunisetty
My lungs were engulfed in a vast sea of; something. Suffocating against the treacherous waves of this “something”, they struggled to overcome the tides. Through my eyes, now filled to the brim, I could see a distorted vision of a pavement, splattered with brown like a canvas, and a procession of wet tires squelching. As the visions began to contort, the thuds of my existence began to slow, each one distancing me from the very reason I was here.
*** A half-hour ago***
The blend of cardamom, onions, and cumin wafted through the air, lingering around me. Ah, I thought, If India had a signature scent, this would be it. The horns blaring incessantly amidst the traffic, vendors selling pani puri in their stalls, and the distant echo of a fight- this was India for sure. It had been years since I had been here, and I finally began to realize how dearly I missed it. Thank you, Amulya.
I urged my feet to walk faster, finding their way between strewn trash, soil, and the occasional rupee lying in isolation on the footpath. I had to find Ammu; before it was too late.
“I have to go, Ammu.”
“Don’t-”
“I love you Ammu, but America… they say it’s something beyond the wildest of our dreams- nothing you would ever find here.”
Amulya’s kind features turned sharp. “This country is my home; people sacrificed their lives for the very soil we are standing on. Go now, and if you ever do realize the worth and value of this country, come back here at this very time next year.”
“And if I don’t come…”
She turned around abruptly, and ran away, vanishing beneath the curtains of crowds of busy people.
My stroll morphed into a desperate jog, as I feared that every second, my grasp of her, of this country, was slackening. But with a sudden skid…
I couldn’t breathe...Where was she now? Would I ever see her again? As if answering my question with malevolence, the murky water filled my lungs, and I was immersed instantaneously in black.
***
I coughed and hacked, my throat rough, and a stream of water emerged from my mouth on cue. The blurred scene began to come together, and the recollections of the past event were brought harshly to my attention. I jutted up with fear, but was pushed down gently by a soft and familiar hand.
Those brown eyes, speckled with flecks of gold, dancing in the light. The veil of thick black hair, full of luster and shine I had never witnessed. Her kind and lovable demeanor- the visions came rushing back with such intensity. It was Amulya.
“I’m here,” she said.
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